Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

How Chinese medicine differentiates benign prostatic hyperplasia, the five patterns you'll actually meet in practice, and the points for each. Acupuncture only — no herbs.

This page is educational, for practitioners and students — it is not a diagnostic tool and does not replace a proper in-person assessment. A complete inability to urinate, blood in the urine, or severe pain needs urgent medical evaluation before acupuncture is considered.

General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for benign prostatic hyperplasia — 14 key points, used across the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

Point	Key action
ST-36	Benefits Stomach and Spleen, tonifies Qi and Blood.
Ren-6	Tonifies Qi and Yang, raises sinking Qi.
BL-23	Tonifies the Kidneys and nourishes Kidney-Essence.
BL-20	Tonifies Spleen and Stomach, resolves Dampness.
Ren-3	Resolves Dampness from the Lower Burner. Promotes the Bladder function of Qi transformation.
SP-9	Regulates the Spleen, resolves Dampness.
SP-6	Strengthens the Spleen, resolves Dampness, nourishes Blood and Yin.
BL-28	Back-Transporting point of the Bladder — clears Heat from the Bladder.
Ren-4	Nourishes Blood and Yin. Strengthens the Kidneys.
Du-4	Tonifies Kidney-Yang and warms the Gate of Life. Expels Cold.
SP-10	Cools Blood, invigorates Blood and eliminates stasis.
LR-3	Subdues Liver-Yang, promotes the smooth flow of Liver-Qi, invigorates Blood.
BL-17	Gathering (Hui) point for Blood — moves Blood.
ST-40	Resolves Phlegm and Dampness, subdues rebellious Qi.

The Five Patterns

↑ reinforcing ↓ reducing ⊥ even method.

1. Spleen and Kidney Qi Deficiency

Clinical manifestations: A weak, hesitant urine stream; frequent nighttime urination; chronic fatigue; a pale complexion; lower back soreness and weak knees, worse with overwork.

Tongue: Pale, swollen, teeth marks, white moist coating. Pulse: Deep, weak, thin.

Treatment principle: Tonify Spleen and Kidney Qi, raise clear Yang and restore fluid transformation.

ST-36 ↑ Ren-6 ↑ BL-23 ↑ BL-20 ↑

Note: moxa applicable. No deck on this site combines Spleen and Kidney Qi deficiency framed around a weak, hesitant urine stream, so no pattern link is given here.

2. Damp-Heat in the Lower Burner View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Burning, stinging urination; dark yellow or cloudy urine; urgent, frequent urination; a heavy sensation in the lower abdomen; thirst with no desire to drink. Flares after spicy food and alcohol.

Tongue: Red, slightly swollen, yellow greasy coating. Pulse: Slippery, Rapid.

Treatment principle: Clear Heat and drain Dampness to promote urination and relieve the obstruction.

Ren-3 ↓ SP-9 ↓ SP-6 ↓ BL-28 ↓

Note: no moxa. Direct match with Damp-Heat in the Bladder.

3. Cold-Dampness in the Lower Burner View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Profuse clear urine, especially at night; cold feelings in the lower abdomen and legs; a heavy, dragging pelvic sensation; an aversion to cold; loose stools, worse in cold weather.

Tongue: Pale, swollen, teeth marks, thick white greasy coating, excessively moist. Pulse: Deep, Slow, Soggy.

Treatment principle: Warm Kidney-Yang, dispel Cold and transform Dampness to restore Bladder function.

Ren-4 ↑ BL-23 ↑ Du-4 ↑ Ren-3 ↑ SP-6 ↑

Note: moxa applicable. Direct match with Bladder Deficient and Cold.

4. Blood Stagnation

Clinical manifestations: Sharp, fixed stabbing pain during urination; a hard, palpable mass in the lower abdomen; pain worse at night; possibly blood or dark clots in the urine.

Tongue: Dark purple with stasis spots, distended dark sublingual veins, thin white coat. Pulse: Choppy or Wiry.

Treatment principle: Invigorate Blood, dispel stasis and dissolve the fixed mass to ease the urinary blockage.

SP-10 ↓ LR-3 ↓ BL-17 ↓

Note: no moxa. This site's \"Liver-Blood stasis\" slide is gynecological/hepatic-framed with no urinary-mass content, so no pattern link is given here.

5. Phlegm in the Lower Burner

Clinical manifestations: Cloudy or turbid urine; a heavy, dragging pelvic sensation; a feeling of heaviness; loose, sticky stools; scanty urine that is hard to pass.

Tongue: Pale, swollen, teeth marks, thick white greasy coating, especially at the root, wet surface. Pulse: Slippery, Deep.

Treatment principle: Resolve Phlegm, promote urination and drain Dampness to open the Water passages.

ST-40 ↓ Ren-3 ↓ SP-6 ↓

Note: no moxa. No deck on this site has a Lower-Burner-specific Phlegm category, so no pattern link is given here.

Related conditions

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